Locking hat-rack and advertising device.



No. 35,039. Patehted Oct. [7, I899.

B. r. cmuamzss.

LOOKING HAT BACK All) ADVERTISING DEVICE.

(Application med Sgpt. 2a, 1898.) (No Model.)

M v i W V V. .lI.

Unrrnn STATES- n'rnnr @rrren,

BENJAMIN F. OHILDRESS, OF DUBLIN, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE FOURTI-IS TO WATSON M. HURLBURT, OF l/VATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

LOCKING HAT-RACK AND ADVERTISING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 635,089, dated October 17, 1899. Application filed September 25, 1896. erial No. 607,007. (No model.)

To aZZ- whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, BENJAMIN F. CHILDRESS, residing at Dublin, in the county of Pulaski and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Lockin g Hat-Rack and Advertising Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to batracks, and more particularly to an improved construction of hat-rack intended for hotels, dining-rooms, and the like.

The object of this invention is to provide a hat-rack in which the hat can be so secured that it will be impossible for any person other than the owner of the hat to remove it from the rack either by mistake or purpose.

Another object of this invention is to pro vide a hat-rack embodying a locking mech anism capable of preventing the hat from being withdrawn, said locking mechanism be ing automatic so far as its locking operation is concerned, which look can be opened only by its own special key, which key cannot be withdrawn from the lock except after the se curing-bail has been locked in place.

Another object of the invention is to provide an advertising device in connection with the securing device, which advertising device is brought into operation when the securing bar is operated.

I With these various objects in view my invention consists, essentially, of a hatrack.

comprising a series of separate compartments, which compartments have means at the back to prevent the hat being pushed too far in-;

ward, and a pivoted looking or securing bail at the front capable of being turned down across the front of the said compartment and locked, whereby it will be impossible to withdraw the hat without first unlocking the bail; and the invention consists also in connecting the spring-actuated curtain to the lockingbail, which curtain has advertising matter printed thereon and will be unrolled when the locking-bail is thrown down to secure the hat. My invention consists also in certain details of construction and novelties of combination, I

tion in use in the lobby of a hotel or diningroom. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of two compartments, showing a hat securedin one, the other compartment being left open. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the locking-disk, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the lock detached from the rack.

In the practical embodiment of my invention I employ an end standard A, between which the rack proper is supported. This rack consists of a series of separate compartments B, and in constructing a hat-rack of this description I prefer to employ light strips of Wood; but it will of course be understood that any other material can be used, if so desired.

In forming the series of compartments I employ a series of horizontal strips 0, extending from one side standard to the other, said strips being preferably arranged in horizontal seriesthree in each series thereby virtually providing a series of horizontal shelves upon which the hats are adapted to rest.

Intersecting the horizontal strips 0 are the series of vertical strips D, also arranged in series of three, and extending from the top shelf to the bottom shelf, connecting each of the horizontal strips Where they meet the vertical strips, are the cross-strips D, thereby subdividing the shelves or providing the series of compartments B.

A wire or rod E is arranged at the back of each shelf and extends along the entire length thereof to prevent the hat being pushed too far inward, and also prevents the hat from being Withdrawn from the rack at the rear. It will be understood, however, that I do not limit myself to' a rod or wire, as it isobvious that the back of the compartment could be closed by employing thin lumber, or, .if desired, wire-gauze fabric may be employed, and, furthermore, it will be understood that instead of using the thin strips 0, D, and D I may employ thin boards of sufficient width to produce the compartment.

Pivoted between the front and side strips of each compartment is a locking-bail G, essentially rectangular in shape and having its ends Gr bent downwardly at right angles to provide pivots upon which the bail turns. A locking-disk H is rigidly mounted upon one end of the bail and has a hole or socket II engage the disk and lock the bail.

near its periphery, which is adapted to receive the locking-bolt I when the bail is turned down to retain the hat in the compartment, as shown in Fig. 2, said bolt being projected intothe hole orsocket bythe force of a spring contained within the lock-case preferably arranged upon the rear face of the front strip, the keyhole of said lock, however, being arranged upon the front face of the strip.

I do not wish to limit myself to any special construction of look, but may employ any construction of spring-lock by means of which the bolt will be projected into the hole or socket of the locking-disk when the said disk is brought around opposite to said lockingbolt, and as the disk rests close to the inner face of the strip the flat face thereof will bear constantly upon the end of the bolt, and thereby hold such bolt in such position that the key cannot be withdrawn from the lock. After the bolt has been turned, however, to lock the bail the key can be readily removed. The bail is preferably provided with a surrounding sleeve L for the purpose of affording a convenient hand-grip; but it will of course be understood that this construction is not at all necessary, and parallel to the front member of the bail is a cross-bar M, to which is attached the lower end of a curtain N, the upper end of said curtain being attached to a spring-roller O, journaled between the side strips of the compartment. Upon the front face of this curtain is printed any desired. advertising matter, and this advertising matter, besides serving its legitimate purpose as an advertisement, also aids the owner of the hat in identifying his compartment, as he will bear in mind that his hat is locked in a compartment bearing the advertisement of a particular firm or institution. It will thus be seen that in order to look a hat in this rack it is only necessary to pull down the bail in front of the compartment and the spring-bolt will The bolt in springing to a locked position moves the bit of the key to such a position that it can be withdrawn, and such key will then of course be removed and carried in the pocket of the owner of the hat.

Each compartment is numbered, and its respective key bears the same number.

It will also be noticed that in pulling down the bail to secure the hat the advertisingcard is brought into view, and when it is desired to remove the hat the key is inserted and the bolt thrown back, thus releasing the locking-disk, and the spring-roller of the curtain immediately causes said curtain to be rolled up, whichrolling action immediately elevates the locking-bail and opens the entrance to the compartment. It will be borne in mind, however, that the key cannot be removed from the lock until after the lockingbail has been thrown down, so as to bring the disk into engagement with the locking-bolt.

It will thus be seen that I provide an exceedingly cheap and simple device which can be arranged in a series of any desired number and in the most convenient form for hotels, dining-rooms, and the like. It will also be noticed that it will be impossible to withdraw the hat from the rack after the lockingbail has been set in place, and it. will also be noticed that at the same time the hat is secured the advertising-card immediately is brought into view, which advertisingcard being spring-actuated will open, unlocking the disk and serving to elevate the lockingbail, and thereby open the entrance to the compartment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An improved hat-rack comprisinga compartment adapted to receive a hat, a lockingbail hinged to the front of the compartment adapted to be turned down across the front of said compartment and engage a locking device and the spring-actuated curtain for nor mally holding the locking-bail in an elevated position, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a hat-rack, the combination with a compartment of a locking-bail pivoted in the front thereof, the locking-disk having a hole or socket, the spring-actuated locking-bolt and the spring-actuated curtain for returning the bail to its normal position, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a hat-rack, the combination with the compartment of a locking-bail pivoted in the front thereof, and means for securing the said bail in a lowered position, a display-curtain attached to the said bail and the spring-ac tuated roller to which the said curtain is attached, substantiallyas shown and described.

4. In a hat-rack, the combination with a compartment, of a locking-bail pivoted in the front of said compartment and provided with a display-curtain adapted to be exposed when the bail is locked and concealed from view when the bail is unlocked, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a hat-rack of the kind described, the combination with a compartment of the locking-bail pivoted in the front thereof, the locking-disk having a socket or hole, the springactuated locking-bolt, the display-curtain at tached'at its outer end to the bail, and the spring-roller to which the inner end of said curtain is attached, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. An improved hat-rack, comprisinga compartment adapted to receive a hat, a lockingbail hinged to the front of the compartment at the top thereof, said bail being adapted to turn downto close the entrance of the compartment, and a locking device arranged adjacent to the pivot of the bail and adapted to lock the same in a closed position, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a hat-rack, the combination with a compartment, of a locking-bail essentially iIO rectangular in shape and pivoted to the front of said compartment and adapted to swing said disk, holding the bail in an unprojected across the entrance of the compartment for position when the bail is raised, substantially 10 the purpose of closing the same, a disk rigas set forth. idly attached to one of the pivotal ends of the T 5' bail having a notch or recess therein, and the BEL JAMIN OHILDRESS locking-bolt arranged upon the side of the Witnesses: compartment adjacent to'the disk and adapt- S. G. HOPKINS, ed to be projected into the notch or recess of l CHAS. E. BROOK. 

